


One good thing

by Akabit



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Baby Werewolves, F/M, Kid Fic, M/M, Oblivious Stiles, Past Rape/Non-con, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-04-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 09:22:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1261180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akabit/pseuds/Akabit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was only one good thing to come out of being the nogitsune: Stiles daughter Clara.</p>
<p>Stiles struggles to prepare for and raise his daughter while recovering from being possessed by the nogitsune.  Fortunately he has a lot of help from friends, family, and Derek.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

Having sex with Malia is the only part of being the nogitsune that Stiles doesn’t feel guilty about. He knows he should. It was wrong to do that with a girl in a mental institution who had been a coyote for most of her life. Of course during the act, he was already mostly under demon control. But he cannot convince himself that erases his guilt for anything else.

Two weeks after the nogitune was banished, Malia came to tell him she was pregnant.

“I know you’re only half the father, but I figured you had the right to know.” she said.

“Thanks for telling me.” he said trying to convey understanding instead of just flailing in shock. “How can I help.” He figured neutral phrasing was key until he knew her plans.

“I don’t know. I can’t even think about raising a child right now,” she replied. “I barely even know how to be human.”

“I’m relearning too.” He said. “It’s a process. I wasn’t exactly myself when the whole sex thing happened. We should probably figure out if you are carrying Rosemary’s baby before making any decisions.” Malia nodded and then wandered off leaving Stiles to overdose on internet research before admitting he had to talk to Deaton.

Perhaps he should not have started the conversation by walking into the animal clinic asking about hell babies. Everyone was understandably still a little jumpy. Clear speech had never been Stiles strong suit. Especially when he had been awake for the past 24 hours stressing about if he had created another monster.

Once Deaton understood the situation, he said the child was likely human, but he could perform a test to be sure. The results were unexpected.

“The baby is a werewolf?” Stiles asked to confirm. “Were-coyote plus fox equals werewolf?”

“Your possession at the time of conception is likely irrelevant,” Deaton replied. “Born weres are more likely when the mother is a born were.”

“I am not bringing up a baby werewolf,” said Malia with typical bluntness. She turned to Stiles. “If you want the baby, you can have it. If not, I am getting an abortion.” Stiles thought about it. He completely supported a woman’s right to choose, but he wasn’t sure he supported his right to choose.

“Can I think about it for a couple days?” He asked. Malia agreed to give him three days before she terminated. He really wasn’t sure what to do. Partially because he knew nothing about raising little humans much less little werewolves.

He spent the first day researching parenting.

“Something you want to tell me son?” Stiles jumped startled. He was sitting on the couch, in the living room, surrounded by every baby book he could find at the Beacon Hills Public Library. His dad was standing in the doorway obviously just home from work. Stiles’s brain raced to come up with a logical excuse and then realized this is something he could not lie about.

“When I possessed last month, I fathered a child.” Stiles admitted.

“Oh, Stiles.” His father sat down quickly looking heartbroken.

“I’m sorry Dad. I didn’t really even remember doing it until Malia told me yesterday. I know you taught me about safe..” Stiles started.

“Son, no,” his father interrupted. He rubbed his forehead before turning to look Stiles straight in the eyes. “It is not your fault. I am not mad at you. I am angry that you were forced into this situation and now have even more things to deal with.”

“You’re making it sound like I was raped,” Stiles responded.

“Son, if you weren’t in control enough to give or refuse consent then you were raped” Stiles started to interrupt, but his dad kept talking. “Maybe the girl isn’t guilty, if she didn’t understand the situation, but that doesn’t change your experience.”

“Doesn’t change the fact that there is a child either,” said Stiles, trying to redirect the conversation. “The mother is giving me three days to decide if I want to raise the baby. If not, she is terminating the pregnancy.”

“What are you thinking” the Sheriff asked. Stiles recognized his supportive police voice and found it disconcerting to have it directed at himself.

“I don’t know,” Stiles began. “I like the idea of at least one life coming out of all the death. I have killed too many people already. But the baby isn’t really a person yet and I know nothing about babies. Oh and it will be a werewolf baby so we can’t really give it up for adoption. It is me or nothing. I am not ready to be a father yet. I don’t know what to do.” His words came faster as he went on.

“It sounds like you have a lot to think about, Son. Whatever you and the mother decide, I will support you.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Stiles said. “I think I need to figure this one out myself.” He took his books upstairs to his room and read until he fell asleep with his head pillowed on Dr. Sears.

By the next afternoon, he was feeling as knowledgeable about babies as he could be without ever having held one. He decided it was time to focus on the second half of the problem. He went to find the person most likely to tell him about born werewolves.

Derek listened to his barrage of questions with a implacable expression. “Why do you want to know?” He asked. When Stiles explained, he was surprised with the look of hope on Derek’s face.

“She is willing to bear the baby?” Derek asked.

“Yes,” said Stiles. “But I don't know if I will be able to raise a were baby.” Derek’s face immediately assumed a businesslike expression.

“What do you want to know?” He asked. Stiles was amazed. Derek gave detailed answers to every question. Apparently, werewolf pups were not all that different from human babies until they started puberty. Then they needed strong ties to pack and family to keep control as they gained their werewolf abilities.

“But you don’t need to worry about that,” Derek finished. “I can help the pup when the time comes and I am sure Scott will be willing to let your son into the pack.” Stiles didn't doubt that Scott would be supportive, but he was surprised that Derek was bordering on enthusiastic.

“Why do you want me to raise the baby?” he inquired. Derek looked down slightly embarrassed.

“The baby would be my cousin,” Derek answered. “Peter was Malia’s father. Pack and family are everything to a born wolf. If you decide to raise the child. I will help you in any way you allow.”

Eight months later, Stiles was holding the only good thing to come out of being the nogitsune. So he didn’t feel guilty for having sex with Malia. He felt grateful for one innocent life to come out of tragedy.


	2. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles prepares himself to prepare for the baby

Stiles enjoys preparing for the baby’s birth because it gives him something to focus on.  He fills a notebook with lists of things he had to do before the baby’s due date in late July.  Then he made lists of everything he needed to buy.  Third he made a list of jobs he was qualified for so that he would have money to buy all the things he needed to buy.  

After applying for everything he thought he had the slightest change of getting, he was hired as a page at the public library.  Shelving books is surprisingly therapeutic.  It keeps his body moving while occupying just enough of his brain to keep him from obsessing. 

When there are no more carts of books to shelve, he hides in the psychology section and reads about trauma and recovery.  He figures that since he can never talk honestly with any therapist he is going to have to straighten out his own head.  Ms. Morrell keeps trying to get him to make an appointment, but he trusts her even less than he trusts himself. The only one that really helps is Derek.  

On Christmas morning, Derek shows up holding a dilapidated cardboard box.  When Stiles answers the door, the werewolf thrusts the box towards him and leaves without saying a word.  The box contains one new book about single fatherhood and a dozen obviously used books about overcoming guilt.

Stiles spends the next hour looking through his new books and then tells his father he is going out for a couple hours.  His relationship with the Sheriff is better than it has been in years.  Stiles thinks this is mostly because they have committed to being honest with each other.  But the fact that his father has stopped drinking and Stiles is getting older definitely help.  His father has always loved him, but was never quite sure what to do with a hyperactive teenager.

His first stop is the McCall's.  He ruins his lunch by eating too many Christmas cookies while chatting with Mrs. McCall.  Then he joins Scott and Isaac playing their new zombie survival video game.  Melissa has to work that evening but he will see the two werewolves again for dinner in a couple hours. 

He stops briefly by Allison and Lydia's houses to deliver gifts, then he makes the stop that inspired the whole excursion.

He knocks on the door of Derek's loft and waits awkwardly for him to answer.

"You left before I could give you your gift," he said. Derek nods and moves out of the doorway so Stiles can enter.

"Should I open it now?" He asks.  Stiles is unsure.  He purposely delivered all his other gifts in a way that avoided him having to watch them being opened. 

"You can if you want.  It isn't much," Stiles replies.  Derek quickly ripped the paper and lifts out a leather jacket.  "I tried to match your old one as closely as possible.". For Christmas this year, Stiles has tried to give everyone a replacement for something he destroyed while he was possessed.  He knows it is inadequate to cancel the harm he caused, but he is trying to make the few reparations he can.

“Thanks,” Derek replies and slips the jacket on over his long sleeved shirt. “It fits.”

“Don't look so surprised,” Stiles says pretending to look offended.

“Lydia helped you shop?” asks Derek.

“No, it was Lydia and Allison” The girls had dragged him to the mall for ‘retail therapy’.  The day helped complete his Christmas list, but the crowds of stressed out shoppers had been hard for him to tolerate.

“I started reading the books you gave me.  They look really helpful.”  Derek nods in response.  

After a second, Derek adds, “Laura never managed to convince me to see her therapist so she asked him to give her a list of resources.”

“I also like the parenting book.  Most of what I found is targeted towards couples or single women,” Stiles says. He stands there for a second thinking he should probably excuse himself and quit this conversation while they were still mostly getting along.  His father is probably waiting for him to help with dinner preparations. 

Then it occurred to him that Derek had no family to spend the holidays with. His comment about family and pack being everything to a born wolf applies to himself as much as it applies to his future cousin.  With Cora in Mexico and Peter dead (again), he can’t have family this year.  However, Stiles could make sure he had pack for at least a Holiday dinner.

“You should come to dinner tonight,” Stiles invites with a hopeful smile. “Scott and Isaac will be there.  Dad always makes too much food so he has an excuse to eat unhealthy leftovers.  Really by coming you will be doing me a favor.”  Derek looks undecided so Stiles adds. “You will have to be there next year for the baby’s first Christmas so you should come this year as practice.”

“I’ll come,” Derek replied.  Stiles smiles and leaves.

After Christmas, life seems to speed up.  Stiles enrolls in an extra history class through an online high school so he will have less credits to complete next year with the baby.  He works as many hours as he can get and does his homework late into the night.  This has the dual benefits of keeping his grades up and  helping him pretend he doesn't have insomnia.  Stiles planned on quitting  lacrosse so he could work more hours, but his father convinced him not to completely give up his last year of childhood.  In retrospect, keeping up lacrosse was probably a good idea.  The more exhausted he is when he collapsed into bed, the more quickly he falls asleep and the less he dreams.

Malia invited him to the 20 week ultrasound, but otherwise preferred to avoid him and ignored her pregnancy as much as possible.  He isn’t allowing himself to buy baby things until school lets out so the only physical signs of the baby are the notebook of lists and a small print out of an ultrasound that he keeps on the table next to his bed.


	3. Stuff and nonsense

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies need lots of stuff

On the first day of summer break, Stiles sits down with his lists, Baby Bargains, and the Consumer Reports book of baby gear reviews. He is going to find the safest and most reliable baby gear that his meager budget allows.  He carefully notes the online prices of each selected item and then grabs the keys to the Jeep.  He has one stop to make before he can start comparing prices at local stores.

The drive to Derek’s loft has become very familiar.  Over the last couple months, Stiles has ended up there more than he expected.  Scott tends to pair Derek with Stiles whenever the supernatural threatens.  Stiles has to admit his research skills and tactics pair well with Derek’s experience and muscle.

“Hey Derek, I mostly figured out what I need so do you and your supersniffer want to come baby shopping” During their initial talk, Derek had mentioned that werewolves were born with an enhanced sense of smell so the scent of baby items was very important.

“Sure,” Derek respondes.  He grabs his leather jacket and prepares to follow Stiles to his jeep.  Now that they know each other better, Stiles has found that Derek is a surprisingly comfortable person to be around.  Perhaps it is because their relationship before the nogitsune was distant enough that there was nothing to betray. Afterwards, his consistent support and sympathy were always appreciated.

The drive to Babies ‘R Us is filled with Stiles babbling about his research and Derek giving brief responses.  Stiles keeps expecting Derek to get annoyed, but it never happens.  When they arrive at the store, his comments prove he was actually paying attention.

They walk up and down the aisles.  Derek picks up and surreptitiously sniffs each item before giving Stiles a concise impression to record.  They must look utterly insane but no one comments.  After evaluating every item on the list, Stiles plans to pick up the items that are well priced, but Derek stops him.

“You should wait to see what you get at your baby shower.”

“I’m not having a baby shower,” Stiles says.

“Scott and Lydia are throwing you one this Saturday,” Derek replies.  “I figured you would appreciate it more if you knew ahead of time.  Also you should give me a copy of your list so you get stuff you actually want.” Stiles appreciates the warning.  He is significantly less jumpy than he was in November, but he would not have reacted well to everyone jumping out and yelling.

“Cool, should I be expecting a fake emergency to get me out of the house Saturday morning?” Stiles asks.

“Nope, I signed us up for the infant first aide and CPR class that Melissa is teaching at the hospital,”  Derek responds.  The class turns out to be three hours of learning just how fragile infants are.  It even includes a disturbingly graphic video illustrating the consequences of improper carseat use.  

“I am going to wrap the baby in bubble wrap and never let it out of the house,” Stiles says as they walk out. 

“He or she will heal slightly faster than average humans,” Derek reassures.  Stiles spends the drive home making elaborate baby proofing plans as Derek tries to talk him down.

When they arrive at Stiles’ house, even his human ears can hear the cries of ‘here they come’ and ‘sshhh’ coming from the house.  Perhaps his friends understand better than he thinks. 

When he opens the door, his friends shout surprise and Stiles stares at the room in amazement.  His friends have forgone the traditional baby shower decorations to produce something that most closely resembles a 9 year old's birthday party with multiple personalities.  There are My Little Pony plates, a Batman banner, and a large game of pin the tail on the  ~~ dog ~~ wolf.  On the table, are several large pizzas and curly fries. The Avengers is playing in the background. It is loud and cheesy and he loves it. 

Everyone eats too much and just hangs out.  There are ridiculous party games and they all take turns beating a piñata with Stiles’ bat.  After several hours, Lydia declares it time to open presents.  Stiles groans and makes token protest that people didn’t have to get him anything.  His dad mock scolds and ushers everyone to sit down in the living room. Stiles figures being the guest of honor entitles him to the big comfy arm chair.

Lydia gives him a elaborately wrapped box that turns out to contain two beautiful but completely impractical baby outfits.  

“Since you don’t know the sex of the baby I got you both options,” she explains.  “You need somethings nice for pictures.” Then she brings out a large shopping bag from the local consignment store. “I also got you some more practical options.”  In the second bag are dozens of gently used gender neutral outfits in a range of sizes. 

Stiles is still rambling out his thanks when Lydia cuts him off by handing him the next gift.  Scott, Allison, Isaac, and Melissa went in together to get him the fancy carseat he wanted but couldn't justify spending the money on.  He also receives a baby monitor from Danny and several boxes of diapers from the twins.  His father gives him a baby carrier. 

“I remember walking around for hours with you strapped to my chest.  There were some nights where it was the only thing to get you to stop screaming,” he explains.  Stiles smiles.

“Thanks dad,” he says.  He has heard many stories of his colicy infant behavior. 

Derek hands him an envelope.  Inside is a picture of his loft piled high with boxes and Derek’s copy of the list.

“Umm,” Stiles prompts hoping Derek will offer an explanation.

“That is everything else,” says Derek. 

“What?” asks Stiles.

“I got you everything else on the list,” explains Derek. “I can keep it at my place until you set up the nursery.”

“Derek,” Stiles begins to protest.

“There is a pack account from before,” Derek says.  “Mother used it for major expenses that benefited the whole family.  I know she would have wanted it used for this.”  Stiles felt he should protest further, but looking at Derek’s expression he realized he should probably just accept.  He thanks Derek until he threatened Stiles with bodily harm.  Stiles realized he no longer believed that Derek would ever hurt him.


	4. Cleaning and conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has several good talks amidst the baby preparation

The day after the shower, Stiles woke earlier than he expected.  He wanders downstairs and finds his dad eating his breakfast in full uniform.

"Hi son," the sheriff greets.  "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"Sure dad," Stiles replies and grabs a quick bowl of cereal and a banana.

"I think it's time we had a little talk about how we are going to handle things when the baby comes," the sheriff begins. 

”Well, you said I could have the spare room for a nursery.  And I signed up with the online high school to get my last couple credits so I can graduate on time without having to pay for daycare." Stiles isn't really sure what there is to discuss.  He has money saved to cover Malia's hospital bills and all other baby expenses.  In fact, due to Derek's generosity he has far more money than he anticipated.  "The tricky part will be finding a babysitter to cover my gym class." Beacon Hills High won't let him take gym by correspondence.  While he does somewhat understand the logic, it puts him in an awkward position.

His Dad got an odd expression on his face.  "How are you expecting me to help?"

Stiles is fairly certain that saying he isn’t anticipating help is the wrong answer.  When he was considering whether he wanted to raise his child, his father had given him a lecture about how choosing to keep the baby would make him an adult with adult responsibilities.  He understood that childrearing was difficult and expensive so he had carefully planned how he could shoulder the responsibility alone.  Judging from his father's face he may have miscalculated.

"Could you watch the baby when I am at gym class on days when it doesn't conflict with your work schedule?"  He asks.

His father nods. "Definitely, what else?" Stiles tries to think.

"Perhaps you could help me set up the nursery." Stiles was not looking forward to clearing out the spare room.  It had been his mother's craft and book room.  After she died, Stiles and his dad had closed the door and mostly ignored its existence.

"Of course," his dad replies.  "We can start this evening." He pauses then continues. "I am very proud of how you are handling everything son.  But don't forget that you are not alone.  There are many people who love you and the baby.  Don't be afraid to ask for help when you want or need it."

Stiles agrees and is somewhat grateful when his father announces he has to go to work. He finishes his breakfast and debates what to do in the couple hours before he has to go work at the library. He feel restless and unsettled so he pulls out his pre-baby to do list. It may not solve the root problem, but he always feels better after crossing something off the list.

This morning he decides to do laundry. He puts all the new baby clothes in the washer and adds the extra gentle unscented detergent. After starting the washer, he pulls out his phone.

“Hello, Stiles,” Derek says on the other end of the connection.

“Hey, Derek,” says Stiles. “Can I swing by and get all the baby linens and towels and things? I am doing laundry.”

“No problem, I will sort them out for you.” Derek replies and then hangs up. Stiles chuckles. He has gotten to the point where he thinks Derek’s abrupt phone manners are kind of funny.

As he drives up to the loft, Derek exits carrying an armful of bags. Stiles shoves them into the back of the Jeep while Derek goes for the second load.

“Dad and I are cleaning the spare room today so I should be able to pick up the rest of the stuff in a couple days,” Stiles tells Derek. Derek nods and makes no move to leave so Stiles starts babbling about the conversation he had with his father earlier that day.

“And now all I have to do is find a reliable babysitter for the times Dad has to work,” he finishes.

“I can do it,” Derek offers sounding more eager than Stiles has ever heard him sound. “I used to watch my cousins,” he adds. “I’m good with babies.”

Stiles is slightly skeptical, but he doesn’t want to seem ungrateful so he responds, “Maybe, why don’t you come over a couple of times before school starts so we can see how you and Stiles junior get along.” This earns Stiles one of Derek’s rare grins.

“Don’t name the baby Stiles Junior,” he teases. “Especially if she is a girl.”

Stiles laughs. “Dude, Stiles would totally work for a girl.”

Derek glares, “My cousin will have a respectable name.”

“Hey, its a Stilinski family tradition to have absolutely terrible first names and awesome nicknames,” Stiles replies. “If I was really feeling mean, I would name the kid my real first name.”

“And that is?” asks Derek.

“Hey look at the time, I bet the first load of washing is ready to go into the dryer,” Stiles says and turns to leave. Derek snorts, but makes no move to stop him.

By the end of the morning, Stiles has washed every scrap of baby related fabric and folded everything into neat piles. It is actually a little scary how much fun he had doing laundry. He has read that nesting is both common and healthy in pregnant women, so he figures expectant fathers can probably get away with it.

After dinner that evening, Stiles and his father start clearing everything out of the soon to be nursery. They uncover lots of memories and share stories as they work. It is not as painful as Stiles anticipated. The loss of his mother is an old, clean hurt untouched by guilt.

“You know,” his father begins. “Your mother would have been pleased to see this room turned into a nursery. We always planned to use it as our second kid’s room.” Stiles is surprised. He doesn’t remember his parents ever mentioning plans for another child.

“You came a little earlier in our marriage than we anticipated,” his father continued. “We decided it would be better to wait until we were more settled to giving you a sibling” Stiles nods.

“It turned out to be a blessing,” his father continued. “By the time we were planning on having kids, your mother was starting to get sick. Having you when we did was one of the best things that could have happened to us.”

Stiles sniffles, but tried to hide it by dropping some books into a box. Before his mother got sick, his childhood had been idyllic. He never suspected that he was unplanned. He hopes he can give his child the same sense of love and belonging.

They stay up later than they should sorting out the items that will be stored in boxes in the garage versus the items that will be given to charity. By the early hours of the morning, the room is clear of items but still full of memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Completely true story: when I was about seven months pregnant with my first kid, I spent a day having way too much fun doing baby laundry. I babbled happily to my very tolerant husband about how wonderful it was to wash baby socks. The next day I panicked over that fact we hadn't yet put together the crib. He still teases me about this.


	5. Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final preparations are completed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in posting. My baby got a bad cold and I got no sleep.

Stiles thinks about magic while he scrubs the room that will be the nursery.  With every movement of the mop and sponge he believes he is cleaning away every hint of ill luck.  This will be a room full of good times with his child and positive memories.  While he's at it, he focuses on good baby sleep because he figures it can't hurt. 

When the room all but sparkles, he brings out the paint he mixed with mountain ash.  He paints the wall in light gray paint believing with every brush stroke that he is surrounding the room in protection and love.  This is a room only friends can enter.

The next day, he hangs blackout curtains and several colorful prints of cartoon animals.  He tries to drag back in the old dresser he plans to use to store baby clothes, but finds he can't shift the solid wood monstrosity by himself.  Derek answers his phone on the first ring.

"Stiles, what do you need?" asks Derek.

"Dude, I'm offended." Stiles says. "I could be calling just to chat.  I don't always need help."

There is a pause and then Derek asks, "Are you calling because you want to chat?"

"Nope, I need you to bring over some baby stuff and help me move the heaviest dresser on earth," Stiles replies.

Derek makes a sound that could be  mistaken for a snort of laughter. "Bring your Jeep over here so we can load both cars with stuff.  It will be easier to fit the big things in your car."

"Good plan, see you in 10 minutes" says Stiles.  

By the time Stiles arrives, Derek is already loading his car with baby gear.  It takes some creative packing but they manage to puzzle everything into the two cars.

“My master packing skills can never be denied,” Stiles crows throwing his arms up in triumph.  Derek makes a sour expression, but doesn't otherwise comment.

“Fine,” says Stiles, moving into the drivers seat of his car. “Deny your envy.  I’ll meet you at my house.”  Stiles drives straight home but somehow by the time he arrives Derek is already there carrying the box containing the crib onto the front porch. He casually opens the front door, which Stiles is certain he locked on the way out, and enters the house.

“Hey Creeper,” demands Stiles, “Break into my house much?”

“I’m helping carry the heavy things,” replies Derek looking smug.  “Why don't you go upstairs so you can direct me where to put everything?”

Stiles snorts, “So you admit I am the brains of the operation.”  He grabs two bags containing bottles, formula, a baby bath, and bath toys.

“Hardly,” replies Derek. “You called me over because you needed my superior strength.”

Stiles laughs, surprised by Derek’s lighthearted teasing. “Fine the crib goes against the back wall.”  They work quickly to unload everything from the cars.  Stiles helps direct placement and pretends not to notice that Derek easily carries twice as much as him on each trip.  Derek ends by easily pushing the dresser into place.

Stiles surveys the room now piled with bags and boxes. “I need lunch before I can even consider starting to put things together and away.” Derek nods acknowledgment and starts walking out of the room.

“Let me buy you a burger and curly fries to thank you for your help,” continues Stiles.  Derek looks pleased.

“Thanks,” he says and walks out of the house.  Stiles follows and is surprised to see Derek seat himself in the passenger seat of Stiles’ Jeep.  Stiles gets into the drivers side and starts driving to his favorite diner.

“Have you considered trading in your car?” asks Derek. “I was reading online that it is difficult to get a carseat into a Jeep and it is not the safest option.”

“I’ve thought about it,” admits Stiles. “But this car has brought me through a lot.  I was going to decide after trying to install the car seat.”

“Okay,” Derek agrees.  He sits silently for the rest of the ride while Stiles chats idly about the latest escapades of various members of the pack.  They share a companionable lunch.  Stiles tries to gross Derek out by dipping curly fries in a creatively flavored milkshake.  He fails. Derek refuses to be shamed for his vanilla milkshake and very rare burger.  When they are done eating, Stiles waves away Derek’s offer to pay half the check.

“I said it was a thank you lunch,” he explains.  “I really appreciate everything you have done for the baby and I.” 

“I am glad to help,” says Derek. 

“I wanted to ask you for one more favor,” continues Stiles.  Derek looks up attentively. “I know you are the baby’s cousin, but I was hoping you would agree to be a godfather as well.”  Some of Stiles’ reading had suggested that godparents were very important to pack culture because of the dangers of being a werewolf. “We aren’t religious, but I figured you could be his or her born wolf Yoda.  And protect the baby if I am ever unable.”

“I would be honored,” responds Derek with unexpected formality.  “Who is the godmother?”

“My baby has two god daddies,” says Stiles trying to lighten the mood.  “I asked Scott to be the other godparent.  He is my best friend and our alpha so it seemed a good choice.”  

Derek nodded agreement. “I will do everything in my power to guide and protect my cousin.”

“Awesome,” replied Stiles.  “Now lets get out of here and put together some baby furniture.”  The rest of the afternoon passed quickly trying to follow the comically bad instructions to put together the crib, stroller, baby swing.

“This doesn't go together,” complains Derek in irritation when it becomes obvious that they had just spent the last thirty minutes putting together one side of the crib backwards.

“I can’t read the directions,” says Stiles starting to freak out.

“Stiles, calm down,” says Derek.  “No one can read the directions.  They aren’t in English or any other language I have ever encountered.”  Finally as the Sheriff comes home, Derek smoothes the crib sheet into place and Stiles sorts the last of the clothes into the dresser drawers.  The three of them stand admiring nursery.  The due date is less than a month away and they are ready.


	6. Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A birth day, a birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains a slightly graphic description of natural childbirth. If that isn't your thing, this chapter can be skipped.

Everything was ready over two weeks early which, of course, means the baby is almost a week late. Stiles is woken up from a restless sleep at 3 am by a phone call from Mr. Tate.

"Malia is in labor," he says and then hangs up. He has never been a fan of Malia's plan to give him the baby or, for that matter, of Stiles himself.  He doesn't know about the nogitsune so from his perspective, Stiles is the horrible person who knocked up his fragile daughter in a mental institution.  Stiles offered him contact with his grandchild, but he angrily refused.  The Tate family plans to completely ignore the child as soon as it is delivered.  Stiles has signed legal papers to prove it.

He grabs his backpack and a bag of baby items, and runs to his car. His dad is working an overnight shift so  Stiles will call him as soon as he gets off work.  He drives quickly to the Tate house.  Dr. Deaton is already there.  Apparently, it can be difficult for weres to keep control during birth so they decided a home birth would be safest.  Deaton was selected as midwife because he delivered all the Hale children.

Malia is a little concerned about giving birth naturally so Stiles lined up werewolf pain  management.  Scott had been willing to help, but Stiles promised to call Derek first. The former alpha had argued very persuasively that he had more experience with pain sharing.

When Stiles arrives, Malia is in active labor.  She completely ignores his entrance and hums loudly through a contraction.  When it is over, she walks to the other side of the room takes a sip of ice water and braces against the wall for the next contraction.

"Hello Stiles," greets Deaton. "Malia is doing well.  Her contractions..." He stops talking as Malia starts humming again.  He waits to proceed until she starts pacing back to her original position. "Are about three minutes apart.  She has established a good coping ritual so we should just stay out of the way until she needs help."

Stiles sits down in the armchair in the corner of the room. He watches her move back and forth across the room between each contraction.  He refills her water whenever it runs low, but mostly he just tries to stay out of the way.

Although Stiles prepared himself to be helpful, he is grateful to be ignored. It is amazing and frightening to see Malia so completely taken over by her labor.  Stiles knows he could never give birth.  It is hard enough for him to watch.

As the hours pass, her contractions speed up and her humming gets louder until it is something between a moan and a scream. After one particularly bad contraction, she starts shaking and talking.

"I hate this.  This is bad.  Make it stop hurting.  I can't do this."

Deaton rushes to her side. "Malia you are entering transition.  This is normal. You are doing very well."

"No!" She replies after screaming her way through another contraction. "I don't like this.  I can't do this."  Then she wretched loudly and throws up into a bowl Stiles hastily shoves under her face. She has barely finished puking when she starts her next contraction.

"I hate this.  Get me a damn werewolf." Her eyes are starting to glow blue and her hairline is creeping forward.  Stiles doesn't hesitate.

"Derek, we need your pain sucking at Malia's," says Stiles as soon as Derek answers the phone.  

"On my way," answers Derek and Stiles can hear him running out of the loft. "She is in labor?"

"Yes and about to coyote out if she doesn't get some pain relief."

"Ten minutes," replies Derek and hangs up.

Stiles relays the news to Deaton who is trying to calm Malia down.

"Three more contractions and then you will have pain relief," he tells her.  "Let's count them." Luckily for everyone, Derek arrives just after the third one ends. When the next contraction hits, Malia grabs Derek's hands and Stiles can see the black lines run up his veins.  

They quickly establish a new pattern.  After about thirty minutes, Malia gets the urge to push.  Less than an hour later, Clara Walentya Stilinski enters the world.  

As agreed, Deaton hands the screaming infant directly to Stiles.  He rocks her gently and then briefly hands her to Derek so he can strip off his shirt and hold her skin to skin. He sits back down in the armchair and vaguely notices someone draping a blanket over them both.  He has more important things to think about.  Like the most perfect little face that had ever existed.  

"Hi, darling girl.  I'm your daddy."  Deaton takes care of Malia and someone calls the sheriff.  Stiles ignores them all and talks quietly to his daughter. 


	7. First month

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loving Clara is easy. Everything else is hard.

Stiles had worried that he wouldn't love his daughter properly.  He doesn't believe in love at first sight for adults.  Why should he believe in it for babies? He poured all his attention into preparing everything perfectly so that if that rush of love didn't come he could fake it until he felt it.  He wanted to protect his child from his imperfections as long as possible.  It turns out that this was a misdirected effort.  Loving Clara is easy.  Everything else is hard.

For the first thirty minutes of her life, he holds her in a blanket against his chest and contemplates her perfect little ears and brown wispy hair.  When he notices her rooting around his chest, he looks up.

"Would someone mind fixing me a bottle of formula?" He asks.

"Let's clean her up and weigh her, then you can feed her and put her down to sleep," Deaton replies. Stiles notices that Mr. Tate is helping Malia out of the room.  She paused at the doorway.

"Thank you," Stiles says.

Malia nods. "Take good care of her," Malia replies and leaves the room.  Stiles knows he will always feel grateful to this woman, but will likely never see her again.

Dr. Deaton takes Clara and weights her by suspending her in a blanket hammock from a spring scale.

"7 pounds and 2 ounces," he announces.  As he is unwrapping the baby, the Sheriff knocks on the door.  Derek let's him in.

"Come meet Clara," Stiles invites as Derek let's him into the house. The Sheriff crosses the room to stare at his granddaughter.

"She is beautiful," he says. Stiles nods to acknowledge this undeniable truth. They work together to gently wash the baby and rub the vernix into her skin. Clara finds the entire process highly scream worthy. By the time she is diapered, dressed, and swaddled, Derek has prepared a warm bottle of formula. Stiles gets her to eat a little but she generally seems more interested in sleeping than eating.

Both Derek and Mr. Stilinski offer to hold her while she sleeps, but Stiles is reluctant to let her go.

"Nap while you can, son," his father recommends, but Stiles holds her for the next two hours until Dr. Deaton says they can take her home.

The next couple of days are a blur of sleep deprivation.  Clara insists on eating every ninety minutes and only sleeps if she is being held.  Stiles has always been a light sleeper and is now even more so.  He can't sleep while holding her.  His father tries to help by taking the baby so he can sleep, but he wakes up if she cries anywhere in the house.

When she is awake, he tries to keep up with the laundry and dishes.  Most of the time he is so exhausted that he just sits with her in his arms and reads aloud random things from the internet.  Sometimes he stares lovingly into her eyes and chats with Scott on the phone.

His friends have worked out a schedule to bring him food and meet his daughter.  Everyone tries to help but only some are successful.  Lydia brings a large pizza and refuses to touch the baby.  Allison and Isaac bring him takeout from the diner.  Allison tries to hold the baby to give Stiles a break, but Clara starts screaming the minute Allison picks her up and doesn't stop until she is safely back in her father's arms.  Stiles is getting good at eating one handed.

On the third day, the McCalls give him his first real break.  Melissa and Scott come over around lunchtime bearing a giant homemade chicken enchilada casserole.  Melissa dishes him up a large plate and then announces she is kidnapping his child for the rest of the day. Stiles tries to protest but he can't exactly argue that Melissa is unqualified to take care of an infant.

He sleeps for five blissful hours and wakes as they reenter the house.  Clara is protesting being confined in her car seat, but cheers up as soon as Stiles picks her up.

The next morning Derek stops by with coffee and pastries.

"I could take her out for a while," Derek offers when Stiles relates the previous days events.

"Are you sure?" asks Stiles skeptically. Derek has claimed to be a experienced babysitter, but it is hard to picture.

"Yes," Derek responds.  He quickly gathers up a diaper bag and bottle of formula.  He straps Clara to his chest with the baby front pack and announces he is going for a walk in the preserve.  Derek promises to bring her back if she cries for longer than five minutes and goes out the door.

It is the beginning of a tradition.  Over the next three weeks, the only thing Stiles can count on is Derek showing up every morning with pastries to take the baby for three hours so Stiles can sleep.  Gradually, Stiles manages to get Clara to sleep next to him on his bed for one hour at a time and then two. The night before school starts, Clara blows away all previous records by sleeping two four hour stretches and then she wakes up and smiles.

Derek arrives to find a relatively well rested Stiles cooing at his daughter and making silly faces to try to get her to smile again.

"She smiled at me. She loves me," Stiles exclaims.  

"Of course she loves you," Derek responds. Clara adds an enthusiastic burble to the conversation, gives a huge toothless grin, and then poops noisily into her diaper.

"I have to go get changed for gym class," declares Stiles and tries to hand the smelly baby to Derek.

"Your Daddy is silly," Derek tells Clara. "He thinks he can trick me into changing a poopy diaper."

"Of course I can.  Look at how cute we are," says Stiles turning Clara to face Derek and making his best attempt at an adorable face.  It must be at least somewhat successful because Derek accepts the baby and shoos Stiles off to get ready for his class.

As he passes the nursery on the way out the door, Stiles pauses to watch Derek sing a silly rhyming song to Clara on her changing table.  It is weird to leave the house alone for the first time since Clara's birth but he knows she is in the best possible hands.


	8. School starts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of sleep deprivation

More than anything else, the first week of school is weird. His friends are happily planning their senior years, but Stiles realizes he has already moved on. The only thing he is going to miss is lunch.  High school sucked.  He spends gym class wishing he was at home with Clara or sleeping.  It is surprising how much he misses her.   

The evening after the first day of school, the Sheriff grills hamburgers.  It is tradition.  Stiles sits outside, on the bench next to the grill, holding his sleeping Clara. Usually he would be talking nonstop to fill his father in on all the new school year gossip.

"Coach is back at school and as crazy as ever," Stiles begins. "My login for the online high school classes worked well and I put in an Amazon order for all my books." he can't think of anything else to say so he switches to a more interesting topic.

"Clara smiled at me today. Didn't you darling," he coos at his daughter. "You also took a nice nap so Daddy could figure out his schoolwork."

The Sheriff smiles , "She is getting so big." He pauses to flip the burgers. "I am impressed with how well you are handling everything."

Stiles looks at him skeptically.  "I am a sleep deprived wreck and Clara has only had three baths in her entire life." He knows he should bathe her more but it never seems to be worth the screaming.

His father chuckles, "All new parents are sleep deprived wrecks. If you are giving the baby everything she needs without going completely insane you are doing well."

"I don't know how I would have managed without you and Derek."

"I'm glad you had the extra help but I am sure you would have found a way, " he pauses. "I know I have been working more than we planned. I wish I could help more."

Stiles shrugs.  He very familiar with the demands of his father's job. "She is starting to sleep better so hopefully things will start getting easier soon."

"I can cover while you are at gym class tomorrow and Friday, " he offers.

"I am pretty sure Derek was planning on coming over, but I can tell him not to if you want Granddaughter time."  Stiles realizes he would feel bad canceling on Derek.

"How about I take her now so you can eat with two hands, " he flips the cooked burgers on to the waiting buns and reaches for Clara. "Derek is very good with her."

"He loves his cousin."

"I'm sure he does." The Sheriff pauses and seems to consider saying more but then he shakes his head and settles Clara more securely in his arms.

The next few days are hard. Clara's good night of sleep was not the beginning of a trend and his gym class means he no longer gets his morning nap. He reads his English literature readings aloud to the baby and manages to complete his math homework one handed while she sleeps. By Friday morning, Stiles is a complete wreck and running late. He all but throws Clara into Derek's arms and gulps down the offered coffee and pastry. He gives them both a quick kiss on the cheek and rushes out the door to his class.

Halfway to school he reviews his actions and pulls over in a panic. Did he really kiss Derek? Yes, he distinctly remembers doing so, but he doesn't remember Derek's reaction. He left too quickly and didn't really look. It felt normal.

He recognises this feeling.  He is once again in love with the completely unobtainable. He hasn't thought about romance or relationships since before the nogitsune. He has been completely focused on recovering his mental health and preparing for the baby. But then, he didn't really plan to fall in love with Lydia either.

He doesn’t worry about the fact that Derek is a different gender than his first love. As a child, he honestly thought everyone was just pretending to find only half of the population attractive. Heterosexuality was just some game that everyone silently agreed to play. His first love was female and his second is male. He knew no one except his father will be surprised.

It is both horrible and reassuring that he doubts his mistake will change anything.  Derek has made his commitment to Clara perfectly clear.  Stiles thinks he would probably put up with almost anything to be allowed to spend time with his cousin.  He will have to make it very clear that he doesn’t expect Derek to be with him to be with Clara.  Derek had been tricked and manipulated too often in this area.

Stiles takes a deep breath and pulls back into traffic. If anything, Derek's screwed up relationship history will probably make him understanding of Stiles’ current predicament. Really, no new parent can be expected to resist an attractive person who is kind to them and loves their child.  The father of your cousin falling in love with you doesn't even rate on Derek's personal freaky relationship scale.

By the end of gym class, Stiles has temporarily resigned himself to unrequited love. Someday, when Clara is older and he is less tired, he will make a plan to get Derek to recognise his awesomeness.  For now, the risks are too high and he has other priorities.

When he arrives back home, Derek and Clara greet him with big smiles.  Derek quickly catches him up on Clara’s morning and then gets ready to leave. On the way out the door, Derek kisses both of them on the cheek.  Apparently that is what they do now.  Stiles is so confused.


	9. Interlude: Slow and Steady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek recovers and prepares for his future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: this fic is now officially AU. In this universe, Peter was killed defeating the nogitsune and *spoiler* survived because of *hand wave*. Just pretend this is the logical explanation you are looking for.

Derek leaves the Stilinski house with a smile on his face and color in his cheeks. He is starting to get used to feeling happy. It is an odd but welcome change.

His recovery started when he realized Gerard Argent is a monster.  He killed one child, forced another into killing others, and tried to trick a third into becoming a murderer. Derek realized that all three children were older than he was when Kate started their relationship. Perhaps the fire wasn’t completely his fault.  He has made mistakes, but maybe there is something worth rebuilding.

He sneaks into Stiles’ room, while he is out practicing lacrosse with Scott, and looks up real estate brokers in New York.  He finds one to sell his and Laura’s condo.  Derek has the broker donate everything except the books to a charity for survivors of domestic violence. He uses the money to buy a loft in Beacon Hills.  The only books he actually wants are the one’s from Laura’s therapist. He puts all the supernatural books in a box to save for Stiles and Lydia.  The rest he donates.

Over the summer, he reads all the books on guilt recovery twice between searching for Erica and Boyd.  He also purchases a book on anger management and two on relationship abuse recovery. He starts having fewer nightmares.  It is amazing how much better sleep improves his outlook on life.

He is nowhere near prepared for the alpha pack, but it teaches him something valuable about himself.  He cannot kill to save his own life.  He honestly thought he could until Cora and Boyd started ripping into his chest.  His initial plan was to kill Boyd so he could contain Cora. He knew he couldn’t kill his sister and thought he would not survive fighting them both.  It also teaches him his own strength.  

Giving his alpha powers to save his sister feels cleansing or selfish.  Possibly both. The thing is, he was never supposed to be an alpha.  He has neither the training nor the personality for it. His desperation to have a pack coupled with the sudden power to create one had gone to his head and led to some poor choices. He is a born werewolf and his strength is his bonds to pack and family. He desires to serve both, not lead them.  The fact that he is being manipulated by Peter is unimportant.  He will give up anything to keep what little family he has left.  Peter is family.

After the alpha pack is vanquished, he hits the road with Cora.  It isn’t what he hoped it would be.  They are awkward after too many years apart and he misses his pack.  They promise to email every week and go their separate ways.  It is a promise they both keep faithfully. He calls her, for the first time, to tell her of Peter's death. His latest plot had offended the nogitsune and given them a way to vanquish it.  Derek mourned the beloved uncle from his childhood more than the man he became.

After Stiles is returned to normal, Derek officially applies to Scott for membership in his pack.  Scott looks confused, but accepts him as a beta. Scott really doesn’t understand what pack is.  He will learn.  Derek’s submission to his new alpha cements his focus.  He will dedicate himself to protecting pack, family, and Beacon Hills.  There is peace in his vows.

Stiles is pack. His alpha has declared it and for Derek it is just that simple. Until the nogitsune, Derek never really thought about Stiles unless he was being annoyed by him. But dealing with the nogitsune was harder because they didn't have Stiles working for them. Afterwards, he sees something familiar in the traumatized young man.

Derek is blindsided by the possibility of a new cousin. He offers Stiles all his knowledge and assistance without a second thought.

Stiles calls irregularly and Derek drops everything to help him. He figures it is about time someone does so without there being any kind of emergency. He comes to admire Stiles' organized mind and loyalty. He may admire other things as well but he refuses to think about it while the boy is seventeen. For now, he will try earn his trust by being worthy of it.

Lydia confronts him during the first week of June.

“I’m organizing a baby shower for Stiles and you are helping because I know nothing about babies,” she announces.

“Okay,” Derek agrees and then waits for her to continue.

She pauses, purses her lips, and says, “I will deal with the food, invitations, and decorations.  You get to deal with Stiles and anything related to babies.” In her mind, this apparently settles the matter because she flounces off.  Two days later, he receives a beautiful handcrafted invitation with an enclosed note containing a checklist of his responsibilities.

He contacts his family's lawyers to take control of the old pack account. He had promised himself he would never touch the money but using it for the baby seems right. He also sets aside funds to help support any pack members that choose to attend college.

Tricking Stiles into taking him baby shopping is trivially easy.  He simply mentions that the smell of everything is very important.  After the shopping trip, he emails the list to everyone on the guest list and buys everything that goes unclaimed.  

Halfway through the party, the Sheriff wanders over to stand next to Derek.

"That is a very nice thing you did for my son”.  His tone is social not threatening, but Derek is still reminded of all the times this man has arrested him.

"He deserves it," Derek replies. He has a feeling this conversation is more than idle chitchat.

"Raising a child is difficult for families with two parents and lots of money.  Stiles is going to need a lot of help and support from people he can count on, " the Sheriff continues.

"I hope to be one of them." Stiles' father gives him a long look and then smiles.

"See that you are, son." He pats Derek kindly on the shoulder and then moves off to speak with Melissa. Derek is surprised to realize the Sheriff approves of him. He had expected him to be wary.

Being present for Clara's birth is an unexpected gift. She has Peter’s chin, Stiles’ eyes, and an unpronounceable middle name. He only gets to hold her for a couple of seconds that first day but he gets to watch Stiles become a father. He wants to be part of that perfect little family.

His mother once said that babies are cute so you don’t throw them out a window.  His adage definitely applies to his cousin.  She is only happy in someones arms and doesn’t sleep nearly as much as the baby books suggest she should. Stiles needs help and Derek is more than willing to step in. As he walks around Beacon Hills, he sometimes pretends she is his little girl and he doesn’t have to give her back in a couple hours. He loves her because she is a new beginning for his family, because she is Stiles' daughter, and because she is the most amazing tiny person on the planet. He tries not to think of the other scenario that could make her his daughter.

Stiles has been eighteen for almost six months.  This makes Derek feel less guilty about his feelings but changes little else. He thinks he will probably be waiting for a while.  Stiles used to smell like a teenage boy which is to say he used to always smell slightly of arousal and semen.  That stopped completely after the nogitsune. Derek knows first hand how long it can take to recover. The werewolf will never make the first move and he is happy to wait.  He will be the most supportive friend possible until it occurs to Stiles he can be more.

And then one morning, Stiles kisses his cheek as he leaves for school.  Derek cuddles Clara to his chest and doesn't stop smiling all morning.  If he is patient and careful, perhaps he can have everything.  Slow and steady wins the race.


	10. Confusion and considerations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles gets some advice and decides what he wants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all. As I have mentioned a couple of times in comments, I am typing this one handed on a cell phone while holding a sleeping baby. I would love to have someone read this over before posting to catch autocorrect wackiness. Drop me a comment if you want to beta.

One of the benefits of young fatherhood is that there is little time to dwell on things. Stiles has online lessons, laundry, and cooking to do before his father gets home for dinner. He accomplishes half his list and declares victory. They can have reheated chili and cornbread for dinner.

Putting the laundry away can wait.  He has a smiling baby to play with. He tries to teach Clara to fist bump using a ridiculous song he wrote one day after a particularly sleepless night.  In the next half an hour,  he inspires many toothless grins, a tired baby,  and absolutely no fist bumps. Playtime was a total success. He positions them comfortably in the couch and feeds her a bottle until she falls asleep.

The baby books say he should always put his sleeping daughter in her crib or she will get used to being held and never sleep alone. The baby books don't know what they're missing. Stiles knows that when the sleepless have been largely forgotten he will treasure the memories of cradling his sleeping daughter. Besides, being trapped in a couch gives him an excuse to relax and obsess over his current maybe-relationship drama.

Stiles doesn't know how to deal with a problem he can't research.  His web searches pull up sites aimed at teenage girls, questioning youth, and occasionally porn. He reads through a site for gay and bisexual young adults, but the only advice that seems relevant to his situation is to discuss it with someone he trusts.

He texts Scott.  His relationship advice will probably suck, but he totally owes Stiles a sympathetic ear. Stiles  doesn't even want to think about the hours of Allison angst he has been subjected to.

To Scott: r werewolves french

To Stiles:?

To Scott: the argent's ancestors r french and werewolves r called loup garou

To Stiles:??!

To Scott: there was cheek kissing

To Stiles: oh derek

To Scott: im confused, need help

From Alison: congrats

From Lydia: good luck

From Danny: why is Scott texting me 2  text u gay sex advice

To Danny: please dont

From Danny: np

The flurry of messages continues through the rest of the day. Clearly texting Scott had activated the pack phone tree but has not actually generated any useful advice. Everyone seems to believe that him and Derek are now in a relationship or the next thing to it.

Stiles appreciates his friends confidence in his desirability but it doesn't help him with his fundamental problems. The kisses may be only friendly. If they are more than friendly he needs to know Derek's intentions. Stiles has no problem with unattached intimacy but having it with Derek is a terrible idea. There is too much at stake to do this thing haphazardly. Assuming there is even a thing at all. The mental cycle continues until his father gets home.

The next couple of days feel like a holding pattern. Derek comes over on Saturday and Sunday morning to take Clara out so Stiles can nap. They exchange cheek kisses with every goodbye. Every time, Stiles is tempted to turn his head just a little bit so Derek will miss his cheek. If he seems upset, Stiles can always apologize and pretend it was an accident. He knows it would be wrong so he never does it.

On Monday morning, the Sheriff is home to witness their ritual. That evening after dinner he gently broaches the topic.

"I noticed you and Derek have gotten closer. "

"Maybe," Stiles replies. "I'm not really sure what Derek wants. "

"Ignore what Derek wants for the moment, " his father suggests.

"But what he wants is super important."

"Absolutely, but before you can deal with that you have to decide what you want." Stiles pauses to consider his father's advice.

"I really like him, dad, but I don't have the time or emotional energy to deal with something complicated, " Stiles says. The Sheriff nods.

"That is reasonable.  Are you happy with the current situation or do you want it to change?"

"I don't know." Stiles replies. With Lydia he was content to accept whatever she gave him, but with Derek it is different. He  has changed. His life has changed. He needs to know where he stands.

The next morning he doesn't kiss Derek on the way out the door. When he gets back from gym class, Derek hands him Clara and tells Stiles about their morning.  He seems a little quiet but otherwise normal. He pauses by Stiles on the way out the door.

"I really appreciate everything you are doing for Clara and I." Derek looks down as Stiles begins to speak.  "I will always make sure you have a place in Clara's life, but please don't kiss me unless you mean it." Derek looks up meeting his eyes and Stiles begins to babble.

"I know I started the whole thing and that was kind of an accident but I'm glad I did it because... "  Derek cuts him off by gently kissing his lips.


	11. A date and discussion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles works towards the relationship he wants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Kamara Black for volunteering to beta. I going back and making minor fixes to previous chapters, but nothing that effects the plot.

When he was younger, Stiles expected his first relationship to be explosive. There would be passionate discussions, elaborate dates, and probably sex. His relationship with Derek is almost the exact opposite. Dates would require a babysitter and Derek shows his feelings with actions. Both of them are keeping the physical side of their relationship pretty tame.

For the first week, the only thing that really changes is the kisses. Stiles loves the kisses. Derek's lips are warm and gentle.  Someday that will probably get frustrating but he isn't there yet. Besides, he would feel a bit weird having a passionate make out session while holding Clara.

On the next Monday, Stiles invites Derek to stay for lunch and that becomes their new tradition. Derek arrives every morning to watch Clara while Stiles is at gym class and he rarely leaves until right before dinner. He is always there ready to help.  It is comfortable, domestic, and slightly smothering. Stiles occasionally wonders if he accidentally got married without all the sexy fun parts. He is the most ungrateful person ever.

The problem wanders around the back of Stiles' mind until he thinks of a potential solution Saturday night while rocking Clara to sleep. As soon as he has his tightly swaddled daughter asleep in her crib, he slips out of the nursery and goes downstairs to find his father.

"Hey, Dad, " he begins. The Sheriff looks up from a case file. Upon seeing his son's expression he shuts the folder and gives Stiles his full attention.

"Derek and I are kind of a thing now."

Mr. Stilinski nods. He has witnessed several goodbye kisses so this is unlikely to be new information. "Does he make you happy," he asks.

“Mostly," Stiles replies. "Like, we are an awesome team with taking care of Clara and dealing with the supernatural, but we need to work on the dating part." Stiles pauses.  "I came down to ask you for a favor?"

"Of course, son. What do you need? " Stiles is grateful for his father's calm reaction.  They could be a little awkward, but the Stilinskis didn’t skimp on unconditional love.

“Could you watch Clara tomorrow morning?” Stiles inquires. “I want to take Derek out and have a chance to talk.”

“Of course, I would love to have some Granddaughter time,”  the Sheriff responds.  “I don’t have to be at work until 5 so that should give you two plenty of time to ...talk.”

“Oh my God, Dad,” Stiles exclaimed. “I mean actually talk.” The Sheriff raises an eyebrow. “I am not talking about this with you.  Aren’t you supposed to disapprove of my relationship with an older man.”

“Perhaps, but teasing you about it is more fun.” He laughs quietly.  “Go to bed son. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The next day, Stiles turns Clara over to his father as soon as she wakes up.  It was a reasonably good night.  She only woke up twice and went back down fairly easily both times.  Stiles takes a quick shower and then contemplates his closet. He is fairly certain Derek doesn’t care what he wears, but it seems like he should make an effort.  He puts on his best pair of jeans and a red shirt. Sometimes humor value wins over fashion.

When Derek knocks on the door, Stiles answers it with a smile and a kiss.

“Turn right back around mister,” he says. “We are going on a date.”

“A date?” Derek inquires skeptically.

“Yes, a date. We have never really hung out alone without an excuse or agenda,” Stiles responds. “We jumped into this relationship and it is awesome, but I don’t want to skip dating and getting to know you as my boyfriend.”

Derek looks pleased. “Your dad is watching Clara?” he confirms.

“Yes, we have most of the day to just be us. First stop, brunch.” Stiles leads Derek to his car and opens the passenger side door for him.  Derek looks amused, but sits down without comment. Stiles starts driving to the diner.  

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Stiles wants to get them talking on a topic other than the pack or Clara as soon as possible.

Derek gives a surprised laugh. “I was a paramedic in New York.”

“That is so cool,” Stiles says. He really should have considered that Derek must have had a profession before he came to Beacon Hills.

“I enjoyed it. I could use my strength and pain sharing to help people.” Derek continues.

Stiles is fascinated. “Have you considered going back to it?”

“I would like to, but my license expired and it wasn’t valid in California anyway.” Derek explains. “I would have to recertify.”

“Would that be difficult?” Stiles asks.

“No, I am hoping to find a course near where you and Clara move for college.” Stiles is very glad he started this conversation.

“So you plan to follow us?” He asks.

Derek looks uncertain. “Yes, is that okay?”

“Absolutely,” Stiles replies. “But you need to have other things in your life as well.”

Derek considers his words. “The first step to recertify is to retest as an EMT.  I would need to study a bit first.”

Stiles smiles. “That sounds great. We can have study dates.”

When they arrive at the diner, they both order huge meals and move on to other topics of conversation. Stiles feels that he learns more about Derek in that morning than he had in the entire first year of their acquaintance.

After they finish eating, Stiles asks if they can stop by the loft so he can look for a missing jacket.  It is a completely ridiculous excuse, but Derek solemnly agrees that locating the imaginary jacket is a top priority. They are kissing before they even make it through the door. Stiles backs himself against the wall and pulls Derek against him. Derek braces himself with one hand above Stiles head and brings the other up to cup his cheek.  They make out until they are both breathless and their passion threatens to turn the encounter into something more. 


	12. October

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keeping things balanced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note the rating change.

Being a parent is its own weird kind of time paradox. The days drag, but the weeks fly. Stiles sometimes feels that his whole life is spent trying and failing to get his baby to sleep,  his homework done, and his relationship in balance. Yet, by the end of October he realizes he has somehow managed to do all three.

Clara is almost three months old and thriving. She has settled down into a good nap routine and usually sleeps at least one four hour segment at night. Stiles can't believe this is considered good baby sleep, but one look at some online parenting forums assures him that he is lucky.

Stiles is amazed at how much Clara is growing and changing. Tummy time is becoming less of a scream-fest. She has made several valiant attempts to roll over but always gets stuck on her arm. Stiles feels slightly guilty for finding her look of complete betrayal when this happens hilarious.

Clara's favorite toy is a stuffed wolf Stiles named Sourwolf. She contentedly bites at its ears for up to five minutes at a time until she stops it.  Derek pretends to be deeply offended by this,  but Stiles just knows he secretly finds it funny.

Stiles feels that his relationship with Derek has settled into an awesome pattern. Derek is at the Stilinski house every morning and most afternoons, but when he isn't helping with Clara he has several projects to work on. He passed his EMT exam with flying colors and has gotten involved with volunteer search and rescue.  He is also working with an architect to create plans for a new Hale house in the preserve. Stiles pretends not to understand why Derek asks for his input. It is still too soon, but someday it won't be. He knows what he is waiting for.

The Sheriff babysits one half day a week so they can go on a date. At first, they always went out for a meal to eat and talk. However the talking is getting easier. They chat while Stiles cooks and Derek entertains Clara.  They have deeper conversations while Stiles holds Clara through her afternoon nap. Now, date time is mostly used for making out.

As October draws to a close, Stiles starts feeling antsy. The Halloween decorations appearing in his neighborhood seem ominous. He tries to avoid all talk of mischief night pranks. Stiles holds Clara close and reminds himself that it is also the anniversary of her creation. But dwelling on those circumstances isn't exactly helpful. Derek and his father both do their best to be supportive, but mostly he needs a distraction.

Date time is definitely distracting.  On the last Thursday in October, Derek and Stiles are exploring each others bodies on Derek's bed.  Stiles refuses to make out on the couch. During their last private time, he had tried to wordlessly indicate that this whole thing would be way more fun with less clothes. Stiles isn't sure if Derek didn't get the hint or didn't want to move forward.

Today he plans to be way less subtle.  Stiles removes his lips from Derek's and announces. "I want to take my shirt off."

When Derek says okay, Stiles pulls his shirt over his head. He looks back at Derek and sees that he isn't the only one topless. Awesome. Derek lays himself down on the bed looking slightly smug which cannot be allowed to stand. Stiles recaptures Derek’s lips in a heated kiss and starts running his hands up Derek's chest.  It feels as great as it looks.  Stiles carefully checks every inch from Derek's collarbone to the waist of his pants. Every single spot feels perfect under his hands and even better under his lips.

Derek stays perfectly still until Stiles begins nipping at his waistband. "None of that," he says and flips them over.  He looms over Stiles enjoying the view for a couple seconds before lowering himself gently down. Derek' lips meet Stiles and his hands begin their own exploration.  Stiles revels in the feeling of the hard warm body above him, but if Derek thinks he is going to lay there passively he has another thing coming.

Stiles wraps his legs around Derek and returns the kiss forcefully. He strokes his hands up and down Derek's back. His body feels alive with pleasure and his brain is pleasantly muddled. Every part of him except one thinks he could happily do this for hours. His cock thinks it could get even better if he just angled his hips a little to the left and pushes up. He gets in one good grind before Derek prys himself away.

"Stiles,  we should stop, " Derek says. Stiles pants for a second and tries to reboot his brain.

"Okay," he says with some difficulty. He searches Derek's face for any sign of distress, but he mostly looks as turned on as Stiles feels. "Is something bothering you?"

"I don't want to have sex," Derek says.

Stiles bites back a protest. "Do you mean no sex now or no sex ever?"

"Not yet, " Derek explains. "Neither of us are ready.”

“I feel pretty ready,” Stiles responds.

Derek shakes his head. “You are freaked out by the anniversary of the nogitsune. You want something new to think about as much as you want me.”

Stiles acknowledges this is partially true. “I really do want you.” he says.

“I know,” Derek continues, “but I can’t have sex if you have any ulterior motive. To many of my lovers had ulterior motives and then people died.  In fact, all my lovers from Beacon Hill are dead. I can't let that happen to you."

Stiles considers arguing further then realizes it would be completely unfair. They both have their triggers. He still can't walk through the foreign language section of the library. "No problem. You tell me where the line is and we will stop there until you are sure we are both ready to cross it."

Derek looks surprised. "You agree?"

Stiles smiles and reaches for his shirt. “Yep, but it doesn’t really matter.  I won’t accept anything less than enthusiastic consent.”

Derek gives one of his rare full face grins. "You don't have to put that back on. Just keep your hands above my waist and your hips to yourself."

Stiles thoroughly enjoys the rest of the afternoon. 


	13. In Sickness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colds and college applications

As October gives way to November, Stiles tries to remember how much he has to be thankful for.  He is determined to get over his lingering issues.  Perhaps if he reframes the triggering environment outside as exposure therapy it will be easier to deal with.  Instead of building up a tolerance, he feels like his patience and stamina are being slowly peeled away.

Stiles tries to distract himself by filling out college admissions forms. He revises his personal statements so many times that the experiences and traits described become completely meaningless to him. His reflective but upbeat essays make Stiles feel like a hypocrite.  He submits them anyway. Stiles knows he should discuss next year with Derek. They are both avoiding talking about the future while the present is so unsettled.

Clara gets sick in the second week of November. It is nothing serious, just a childhood winter cold.  However, all illness in very young children are miserable.  For two days, she barely sleeps.  Her nose gets so stuffed up that Stiles has to drip saltwater into each nostril to clear her nose out before each feeding.  He becomes an expert with the snot sucker bulb.  Any time Stiles gets near her nose, Clara screams. Often she screams regardless. On the second afternoon, he straps her into the front pack and shuts them both in the bathroom with the shower running. Damn water conservation. Stiles is going to steam up the room so his daughter can breathe. Clara sleeps for three hours while he sits awkwardly on the toilet seat and watches Netflix on his phone. He hopes this will be the turning point where she starts to get better.

Stiles wakes up on the third morning, from completely inadequate sleep, with a scratchy throat, a plugged up nose, and a terrible headache. Clara is fussing in the bed beside him and he just can't. Stiles picks her up and walks into his Dad's room. The Sheriff is asleep but, for once, Stiles feels no guilt in waking him up.

"Daddy, I'm sick." Stiles realizes he sounds closer to eight than eighteen. His father opens his eyes and sighs.

"Alright son," he replies. "Hand me the baby and try to get back to sleep."

Stiles wakes again six hours later. He is still sick, but he no longer feels like death warmed over.  He wanders downstairs and finds Derek holding a sleeping Clara.

"How is she feeling?" Stiles asks softly.  He feels guilty for abandoning her that morning.

"She seems slightly better. " Derek replies."Clara has been sleeping well as long as she is held upright." He smiles down at the precious bundle resting on his chest and then turns to Stiles. "There is some spicy Thai chicken soup for you in the fridge."

"Awesome, I need to blast out my sinuses with spicy food. " He warms up the soup in the microwave and then joins Derek and Clara on the couch.

"Cora called yesterday evening." Derek begins. Stiles knows the siblings have been talking more frequently lately. "She wants to come visit for Thanksgiving and meet Clara."

Stiles smiles. "That's great. I can call Melissa and have her put an extra chair at the table." The soup is making his eyes water and his nose run. Stiles hopes Derek realizes he is being sick not emotional.

"She is driving in the Tuesday afternoon before Thanksgiving so I will have to leave before lunch that day and I don't know my schedule until she leaves on Sunday." Derek seems hesitant,  as  if Stiles could possibly object to him prioritizing his sister.

"No worries. You guys can steal Clara whenever you want, but I will mostly plan to be on my own that week." Stiles finishes his soup and then wipes his nose before continuing. "Just let me know if there is anything I can do or not do to help you out. Oh, and warn me if you need Dad to watch Clara during gym on Wednesday."

Derek shakes his head slightly. "I was hoping you could join us for part of the time. I told Cora that we are together and she wants to get to know you better."

This is not the type of conversation he should be having while he is sick and out of it. Their relationship is loving and solid but very poorly defined. He knows they both want it to be serious and long-term, but they have never discussed exactly what that means in anything except physical terms.  Life has been too complicated to risk upsetting a good thing.

"I would like to get to know her too. " Stiles responds because it is really the only thing he can reasonably say. "What did you tell her about us?"

Derek looks down at Clara and says softly. "I told her that you are letting me spend a lot of time with Clara and that I love you both very much."  He looks up hesitantly to see Stiles reaction.

"I love you too." They grin at each other until Stiles realizes his nose is dripping snot. "This is terrible. We have the worst timing ever. We declare our love for the first time when I can't even kiss you because I would wake the baby and get you sick."

"Adult werewolves don't get colds." Derek replies and tilts his head up for a kiss. Stiles gives him a brief peck on the lips and then moved to the other side of the room so that he can blow his nose without disturbing Clara.

Derek sends Stiles back up to bed to try and sleep off his cold.  Stiles half wakes several times over the next couple hours whenever Clara cries but he is quickly soothed back to sleep by Derek's quiet singing.  His stomach fully wakes him up in the late evening. A quick check of his phone shows it is past Clara's normal bedtime. He pokes his head into the nursery and sees his daughter asleep in her crib with Derek asleep on a camping mattress on the floor.

Downstairs he finds his father eating a sandwich while looking over some case files.

"He emerges, " his father greets. "How are you feeling son?"

"Slightly better and very hungry. " Stiles makes himself a sandwich and joins his father at the table. "Derek is asleep upstairs in the nursery."

"He asked if he could stay tonight to look after you two, " the Sheriff explains. "I gave him the mattress because he was planning on sleeping on the floor."  He shakes his head at this idea. Stiles agrees.  The camp mattress is uncomfortable over soft dirt.  It is likely only slightly better than sleeping directly on the hardwood.

"Can he stay with me?” Stiles asks hesitantly.  The Sheriff has been very supportive of their relationship, but Stiles thinks there is probably a line somewhere and he has no idea where it is. “Fully clothed platonic sleepover?”

The Sheriff raises an eyebrow. “I don’t plan to look into either your room or the nursery tonight,” he says. “In fact, I am going up to bed.”  Stiles dad grabs a beer and his case file and leaves the room. Stiles decides this is as good as permission. He eats his dinner while half-heartedly reading his English assignment. When the food is gone, Stiles goes upstairs. He gently shakes Derek awake and leads him sleepily to his bed. They cuddle together and quickly fall asleep for a blissful twenty minutes until they are woken up by the baby monitor. 


	14. Interlude: No more waiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek begins to trust his new life

Derek tries to brace himself for everything falling apart. He knows better than to expect nice things to last. Initially, everything is perfect. He has Stiles and Clara and it is frighteningly close to what he always dreamed of before he stopped believing in dreams.

Then reality begins to intrude.  Derek annoys Stiles with his hovering and Stiles tries to distract himself from his problems with sex. Oddly, it is their issues that makes their relationship real. Because they talk about them and work on them. The problems don't exactly disappear but it becomes an instinctive habit to work around them. That has never happened to Derek before. Maybe this thing can last. Maybe he can plan for their future.

There is only one architectural firm in Beacon Hills. It is an old family firm that had been there for years. Angela Mahealani is the granddaughter of the man who designed the original Hale house. She is a brilliant and utterly unflappable women who is either in the know about the supernatural or just very used to accommodating odd requests. She takes in all his requirements and calmly presents him with plans for a house that is easily twice the size of the one he requested. When he protests, she assures him that this will suit his family better. She seems so certain that he decides not to protest. He will begin construction on the six bedroom house in the spring.

He finds a program to help him recertify as a paramedic over the summer and looks into jobs near all the schools Stiles is applying to. He furtively looks up two bedroom apartments with his screen turned away from Stiles and hastily wipes his browser history when Stiles declares he has to share his porn. Later that night he has fun of an entirely different kind while perusing the links Stiles sends in an email titled 'I'll show you mine'. Sometimes he is forcefully reminded of the fact that he is dating a teenage boy.

Not that his sister will ever let him forget. Their early emails and conversations were painfully awkward. However, lately Cora has begun to remind him that when he was a child, his sisters believed their job was to give him hell. Her playful teasing reminds him of happier times. He wishes Clara could have a carefree childhood surrounded by siblings, cousins, and a large pack. All he can do is persuade his sister to come visit for Thanksgiving.

Fortunately, both Stilinski are over their colds by the time Cora arrives. Derek on the other hand is nervous. He scours the internet for close approximations of traditional Hale family recipes. He hovers watching Stiles cook until he threatens the lace the food with wolfsbane.  Derek retreats to the sound of Cora's laughter. She gets along with Stiles slightly too well.

Cora subscribes to the Lydia Martin school of distant baby appreciation. She enjoys watching Derek and Stiles play with Clara, but only agrees to hold her while she is asleep. She declares that when Clara is older, she will be the cool aunt who gets her everything her Daddy’s won’t let her have.  Stiles blushes bright red but doesn’t correct her.  Derek takes this as a good sign.

After Cora leaves, on Sunday, his loft seems large and empty.  Thanksgiving was everything he had hoped it would be. He sat between Stiles and his sister. Some of the food was familiar and some of it was new. The Sheriff, Stiles and Derek took turns holding Clara so everyone got a chance to eat two handed. It was the closest to perfect he had experienced in his adult life and he didn’t want it to end. His sister can leave because she is a grown woman with her own life, but he wants his little family and he doesn’t want to wait.

Derek drives to the Stilinski house and uses his key to open the door. The Sheriff is about to leave for a night shift but he greets Derek warmly and ushers him upstairs to join Stiles in giving Clara a bath.  They work together to wash the slippery wiggling splash monster.  Honestly, he has no idea why the baby books suggest baths as a calming activity before bedtime.  When Clara is dry, dressed, and wrapped in a warm swaddle, Stiles feeds her. He rocks her to sleep as they both sing a lullaby. Then Derek lifts her carefully into her crib.

Derek watches his Clara to make sure she is asleep while Stiles gets ready for bed in the bathroom before taking his turn.  When he enters Stiles room, he is laying in bed dressed in an old t-shirt and boxers.

“I feel like we have done this before,” Stiles says and he’s right. Derek has pictured this so many times that the actions seem familiar. “Do you want to borrow some clothes for pajamas?” Stiles offers, but makes no move to get up from the bed.

“No,” Derek replies and starts stripping off his clothes.  Stiles looks surprised, but pleased.

“Is an equal opportunity nudity party?” he asks with a grin.

“I want to see you bare,” Derek replies and tries to lift Stiles shirt over his head.  It gets stuck. Stiles playfully shoves him out of the way so he can fix the problem then pulls Derek back onto the bed.  Derek rolls onto his side and attacks Stiles with his lips. Stiles lets out an uninhibited laugh and gives as good as he gets.  They both try to roll the other onto their backs.  Derek lets Stiles win. Stiles buries his face in Derek’s neck and tries to make a hickey big enough to defy werewolf healing. Stiles weight is warm and comforting.  The hand that is not tangled in Derek’s hair traces erotic patterns on his chest.

Derek grabs the waistband on Stiles boxers and starts to pull them down. Stiles pulls away.

"Are we planning to have orgasms?" Stiles begins to babble. "Because that would be awesome. I love orgasms and I love you but before you didn't want sex and that's fine but I want us to agree on what is happening here."

"I want to blow you and then sleep by your side until Clara wakes us up. " Stiles grins and pounces.

Sex with Stiles is fun and ridiculous. Derek gags once because he gets over ambitious with how much cock will fit in his mouth and a second time because Stiles can’t keep his hips on the bed. Stiles maintains a running commentary until he gets close and then his monologue descends into moans. He orgasms silently. Derek strokes his own cock as Stiles kisses his lips and grabs his ass. When it is over, Stiles declares the whole thing an amazing success to be repeated as soon as possible. He is asleep as soon as he finishes talking.  Derek gently cleans them both off and falls into the most restful sleep he has had since he was sixteen.

They take turns caring for Clara during the night.  In the morning they wake up together, ready to start a new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All. This is the last full chapter of the story. I will post a short epilogue soon. Thank you for reading the first long story I have finished in over ten years. I am excited to be getting back into writing. Your comments and kudos have been a wonderful encouragement.
> 
> Thank you to Kamara Black for editing my numerous typos. All mistakes are mine :-)
> 
> Stay tuned for my next story involving time traveling hijinks and, of course, Sterek.


	15. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles refuses to get married until he can legally drink at his wedding.

Stiles refuses to get married until he can legally drink at his wedding. It doesn't matter that half the guests are immune to alcohol or that no one would ever dream of reporting him. He wants to be 21 on his wedding day and doesn't believe in long engagements. He makes sure to mention these facts to Derek well before their first anniversary so he doesn't get any funny ideas. The lecture leaves Derek grinning like a loon.

The Sheriff obviously had certain expectations when Derek stands up at Stiles graduation party and asks for everyone's attention. It takes longer than it should to convince everyone that the announcement that he is moving in with Stiles and becoming Clara's papa does not mean they are engaged. Stiles explanation that this is because they are getting married the summer after his sophomore year does not help.

The next two years are the good kind of hard. It is a challenge to find childcare that works with Stiles classes and Derek's work schedule. They get to spend less time as a family than they would like, but they make it work. Their little apartment in Davis is a happy home.

Stiles proposes in front of their family and friends at Clara's third Thanksgiving. Derek declares that since Stiles got to propose he gets to plan the wedding.

They are married on the third anniversary of the thank you meal at the diner.  Derek claims it is the anniversary of their first date. Stiles argues their first date was after Clara’s birth.  It is an old argument that neither expects to win.

The wedding takes place in the backyard of the new Hale house. Clara leads the wedding party by spinning enthusiastically down the aisle so her shirt flares and the petals she was supposed to scatter fly in all directions. Scott and Cora follow as the grooms people and Dr. Deaton performs a brief ceremony. Afterwards, the Sheriff and Chris Argent man the grill while Melissa McCall arranges a potluck of side dishes on a folding table. Everyone eats sitting at picnic tables or mingling on the porch.

They had told everyone no presents except food, but this was almost universally ignored.  The most surprising gift was a card from Cora.  In a slightly crude note, she offered the use of her womb as long as they promised she never had to change any diapers.

By Derek and Stiles tenth wedding anniversary, they are very glad Derek went with Mrs. Mahealani’s plan for the large Hale house. Elenore was born two weeks after Stiles graduated college.  When she was three, Cora offered to give them another child, but actually gave them twins.   This left only one room as the guest room for the frequent visits of ‘cool Aunt Cora’.  Life in the Hale family was rarely restful, but it was a wonderful kind of chaos and full of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End
> 
> Thanks for reading :)
> 
> Anika
> 
> I am on tumblr as ankabit.tumblr.com. Feel free to click on over and say hi.


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